This project is an investigation into the photochemistry of the mesosphere/lower thermosphere ozone, where the goal is to understand the chemistry of reactive species, atomic oxygen, ozone, atomic hydrogen, and hydroxyl, in the mesosphere/lower thermosphere. The NCAR TIME-GCM model will be used to analyze sets of simultaneous data of source molecules, radical species and temperature obtained by ground based instruments and rocket borne instruments. The objectives of the investigation are (1) to assess whether atomic oxygen and atomic hydrogen are in chemical equilibrium in the test cases, (2) to determine whether modifications are necessary for atomic oxygen production and loss rates and/or the atomic hydrogen loss rate, and (3) to determine if the unmodified chemistry will explain the atomic oxygen and atomic hydrogen concentrations when the dynamics is adjusted to reproduce the water and oxygen profiles.
